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Freud, Adler, Jung: from Womb to Tomb DOCUSEIT RESUME ED 127 531 CG 010 759 AUTHOR Pedrini, D. T.; Pedrini, Bonnie C. TITLE Freud, Adler, Jung: From Womb to Tomb. PUB DATE 6 Apr 76 NOTE 14p.; Not available in hard copy due to marginal legibility of original document EDRS PRICE MF-$0.8' Plus Postage. HC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS *Adult Development; *Development; *Developmental Psychology; Gerontology; *Human Development; *Individual Psychology; Maturation; State of the Art Reviews; *Theories ABSTRACT This paper briefly introduces outlines of psychoanalysis (Freud), individual psychology (Adler), and analytical psychology (Jung). Freud focused on problems of adults as they related to childhood; Adler on problems of adults as they related to adulthood; and Jung on problems of adults as they related to middle and later years. Jungian analytical psychology is singularly applicable to the entire life cycle with special meanings fOr gerontology. In all this theorizing, however, we should always consider reality, and towards this end research is recommended. Included is a select bibliography with authorized translations of original sources, definitive sources, and explanatory sources. (Author) FREUD, ADLER, JUNG: FROM WOMB TO TOMB D. T. Pedrini and Bonnie C. Pedrini University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska 68101 Abstract This paper briefly introduces outlines of psychoanalysis (Freud), individual psychology (Adler), and analytical psychology (Jung). Freud, focused on prob- lems of adults as they related to childhood; Adler, on problems of adults as they related to adulthood; and Jung, on problems of adults as they related to middle and later years. Jungian analytical psychology is singularly applicable to the entire life cycle with special meanings for gerontology. In all this theorizing, however, we should always consider reality, and towards this end research is recommended. Included is a select bibliography with authorized translattnns of original sources, definitive sources, and explana- tory sources. Freud Freud, in trying to understand humans, leaned heavily upon analogies, metaphors, and reified abstractions. His words were steeped with sexual and mythological taints. Nevertheless, his resulting psychology (theoretical though it may have been) opened up humankind to systematized investigation. He considered persons in terms of dynamics (conscious, pre-conscious, and unconscious), topography (id, ego, and superego), and economics (repression, projection, etc.--the mechanisms of adjustment, the defendants against anxiety). He took mankind through developmental stages--the oral, anal, phallic, latent, and genital; paying particular attention to the bipolarities of eros and the death drive, reality and pleasure, as well as the problems of progression, fixation, and regression. The energy for human nature was libido; and cathexis was the process by which this libido, this energy was used. Of crucial importance was the Oedipus complex (sometimes called the Oedipal stage or Oedipal situation, beginning during the phallic stage and for some never resolving). The libido was defined as the sex impulse or more accurately the love and/or affection impulse. Libido could be sentient, sensuous, or sensual. Freud in trying to understand humans leaned heavily upon Occidental, Central European, Austrian, and Viennese cultures. Yet he considered the development of humans everywhere to be based upon a drive (rather than instinct) network and the behavior of humans to be manifest of this drive (rather than instinct) network. The society, the culture, and the social milieu were artifacts based upon sublimation of animalness (and included repression, reaction formation, displacement, etc.). These artifacts (the society, etc.) resulted from personal struggles against biologic nature; and though the artifacts could modify behavior, they could not modify progression through the developmental stages (oral, anal, phallic [including Oedipal], latent, and genital). Humans, then, were understood in terms of dynamics, topography, and economics, with libidinal energy cathecting to bipolarities and going through the developmental stages with progression, fixation, and regression. This, of course, is only a simplified overview of the brilliant insights Freud mastered. Nonetheless, this overview, this outline can serve to show Freud and his biologic and psychologie emphasis. For gerontology, all of psychoanalysis serves, howèver, not much of it has been specified in context. The death drive, regression, and other conceptualizations are critical, but there is little focus on old age, per se. What is needed is a psychoanalysis of and for the aged. Adler Adler in trying to understand humankind utilized, in part, the primary Freudian concepts of dynamics, topography, and economics. He did not use the breakdown or the areas in toto, however, and selected, modified, and elaborated only the components he considered irtoortant. Adler considered the unconscious and conscious but not as antagonists. He emphasized the conscious. In many instances, Adler considered the con- scious and unconscious as directed toward the same goal. He emphasized the ego in his system and did much pioneer work with the bahavioral referents of this hypothetical construct. The "will to power" was stressed, the urge for dominance and superiority. Adler in his conceptualizations, histori- cally and developmentally, began with organ inferiority; but he carried this biologic-psychologie concept to its logical conclusion, the conclusion being a psychologie-sociologic context. Interestingly, his system if called "individual psychology." The mechanism most considered by Adler was compensation. The other mechanisms were described as processes, at times, but they did not have the singular strength of compensation. The first five years of life were particularly important, according to Adler, for a nuclear form of the "style of life." Adler de-emphasized the oral and anal stages of Freud and stressed the balance between the individual and social drives. Social adjustment, later work adjustment, and adjustment to love and marriage were emphasized. Libido as Freud understood it was not the energy behind the movement of personality, but self-assertive impulse was. Libido for Adler was a libido of power. The Oedipus complex was not crucial, was not considered a fundamental fact of human development; again he used it in a context of "will for power" and considered it symbolically. For gerontology, all of individual psychology serves, however, there is little focus or old age. The young adult and adult years are emphasized with notions of social adjustment including work, marriage, love, etc. But, what is needed is an individual psychology of and for the aged. Jung Jung accepted some aspects of Freudian theory and rejected others. He continued with the conscious, unconscious paradigm but carried it ever fur- ther. He envisioned a personal and a collective unconscious. 'The personal unconscious was the forgotten, the repressed, the subliminal; the collec- tive unconscious was an inheritance from primitive ancestors. These primi- tive ancestors influenced us in terms of archetypes--primitive ways of thinking. This collective unconscious included both primitive thinking and Freud's id. Jung noted two directions of mental interests (attitudes)--extraversion and introversion, as well as four kinds of mental activities (functions)-- thinking. sensing, intuiting, and feeling. Eight main types of individuals were seen (combining interests and activities), but intermediate types were also admissible, and what an individual was not consciously, he was uncon- sciously. An ideal type had rhythmic alternations of the two directions of interest--extraversion and introversion. There were three phases of development for Jung: the first, the pre-sexual, included the first three to five years and was characterized by nutrition, growth, dependency; the second, the pre-pubertal stage, covered the period from three-to-five to puberty and was characterized by sociali- zation; and the third, the age of maturity, was from puberty onward and was characterized by dependability, self-actualization. The middle (-age) years were especially important in his system. And Jung, in contrast to most psychologists, gave women prominence and importance in his analytical psychology. Jung utilized the concept of libido, but he included Freud's libido, Adler's "will for power," and the whole range of motives. It was a life libido. The Oedipus complex was given importance, and it had both a semiotic (sign, token--Freud) and symbolic (Adler) meaning. Jung included more of Freud than Adler did. For gerontology, all of analytical psychology serves, and there is a focus on the middle years and beyond. What is needed is application in research paradigms. Jung considered his system empirical and scientific, but most psychologists consider it nicht Wissenschaft (not science). How- ever, analytical psychology does give us a theoretical foundation of and for the aged. Freud, Adler, Jung Freud was the founder and master of psychoanalysis. The psychologie system of psychoanalysis, as a theoretical schema, has given us great insights into the nature of man (especially mankind). Organized, systema- tized investigation led to these insights. Freud was the "father" and teacher. Adler and Jung were not pupils of Freud in the strict sense of the word. Each had started on his career before coming under the influence of Freud. For a time they did accept his leadership, but soon some
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